Pride parade: Sunday sludgy Sunday

Rain did nothing to deter the 39th Annual Pride Parade yesterday. Sure, it caused itinerant delays, a few contingents backed out and drag queens had to contend with their faces falling off (not that a good drag queen doesn’t always have a backup plan), but the proud and the scantily clad soldiered on. The energy this year was infectious as ever, perhaps because we gays have much to be excited about, both with marriage equality in the Golden State and impending change in the White House. (See more our Pride photos in at timeoutchicago.com/festivals.)

Speaking of which, I did an about face and marched in the parade for the first time ever. I walked with friends in support of Barack Obama and his historic campaign for the presidency and I couldn’t have picked a better way to make the transition from spectator to participant. We didn’t have a float, just an energetic and motivated team of 200+ supporters holding banners, waving signs, passing out literature, chanting for our candidate and sticking stickers on as many chests, breasts, arms and asses (hey, some people asked for it) as we possibly could. The response from people was thunderous. I couldn’t believe the diversity of gay and straight, old and young, black and white, Latino and Asian people who cheered us on, high-fived us, gave us the Michelle Obama fist bump and even offered hugs. Who knew a walk through Boystown could be life-changing? If you have the opportunity to take part in the parade the next year, don’t even think twice.

There were a few gaffes. The weather caused intermittent delays and a wounded float-goer is believed to have caused the gap that halted the parade for about an hour, but the rain also gave the Speedo-clad lads on floats like Hydrate and Sidetrack just the right amount of wetness they desired. Overall, the good vibes flowed as freely this year as they have in the past. Bars were packed to the gills afterwards with lip-locked guys and girls expressing their “Pride” to one another and though the smashing of 400,000 people in close quarters did cause some problems (six lesbians got arrested in front of Circuit and I found some poor guy passed out with his face in a puddle of H20 in front of Sidetrack), no major incidents were reported.

I counted only nine fundie protesters lined up near the parade route’s end, a testament to either their dwindling desire to hassle us or the fact that the Land of Lincoln just isn’t the kind of place where blatant homophobia has much sticking power. Instead, I found myself overwhelmed by the number of straight people cheering us on. At one point, as the Obama contingent marched down Broadway I was stopped suddenly by a couple screaming my name and running up to me. It was a young straight couple I had just met several nights before at a friend’s going away party. They could hardly contain their excitement at seeing me along the route. As I stuck Obama Pride stickers on them I thought, this is really what it’s all about.